HAVING a central fire alarm in tower blocks could cause a 'disorganised, mass evacuation', according to the council.

As previously reported, residents at Albion Towers in St Mary’s have called for a central alarm system to be installed in the building after they could not hear the fire alarm when a blaze broke out on the 15th floor on Wednesday.

When the Daily Echo asked Southampton City Council if such a system would now be installed, a spokesman said: “An unorganised [sic], mass evacuation of a tower block building - as could be prompted by a central alarm - could result in tenant injuries in the process. At Albion Towers, each flat has a smoke detector which is audible to the tenant within the flat.”

The spokesperson added that the installation of a sprinkler system in each flat at Albion Towers over the coming weeks will provide an additional layer of fire defence.